Hungary to be Guest of Honor at Silk Road Week
A piece of robe from Hungary's Museum of Applied Arts' Esterhazy collection dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries.
The China National Silk Museum, the largest silk history research institution in the country, conducts events to showcase the Silk Road's cultural heritage every summer. This year, Silk Road Week will run from July 12 to August 22 and include a variety of online and offline events.
The events, initiated by the silk museum and supported by the National Cultural Heritage Administration and Zhejiang provincial government, have attracted over 200 organizations and institutions from around the globe since 2020.
Hungary, the first European nation to join the Belt and Road Initiative, will be the Guest of Honor this year.
China and countries along the historic routes have been involved in joint initiatives since 2013 when President Xi Jinping launched the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, known as the Belt and Road Initiative.
The initiative seeks to revitalize Eurasia's economic ties and connectivity. Hangzhou has held cultural events with a Silk Road theme, as have many other cities. The Silk Road Week is regarded as a cultural extravaganza that promotes international trade.
This year's events will feature two major exhibitions. One began on June 27, displaying 34 textiles and ornamental firearms from the 16th and 17th centuries from the Esterhazy collection of the Museum of Applied Arts of Hungary and the China National Museum.
During the early 16th century, the Esterhazys rose to prominence as one of Hungary's most prominent aristocratic families. The exhibition will be on display until August 21.
Garments from Hungary's Museum of Applied Arts' Esterhazy collection dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries.
The other exhibition will roll out the welcome mat on July 12 and continue until August 22. As the centerpiece of the cultural week, the exhibition features items from the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes.
Dunhuang, in Gansu Province, was a Silk Road transportation hub that flourished due to the silk trade and Buddhism. On the ancient route, it is an oasis and a religious and cultural crossroads.
The Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site containing some of the finest examples of Buddhist art, was a popular destination at the time for devout believers.
Throughout history, a number of silk paintings and textiles have been buried in the grottoes alongside renowned murals. The exhibition will be divided into four sections to showcase unearthed Buddhist pagoda antiques, silk, Buddhist scriptures, painted tiles, and bamboo strips.
Tang Dynasty ceramic figurine from Dunhuang
About 100 antiques on loan from other institutions will demonstrate the prosperous days of Dunhuang to visitors. Forty of them are exceptional national assets, some of which will be exhibited in Hangzhou for the first time.
Six religions and at least 10 nationalities once coexisted in Dunhuang. Antiques from the Han Dynasty (206 BC–AD 220) to the Song Dynasty (960-1279) will demonstrate the harmony between diverse cultures and religions.
The Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor section of the Silk Road was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014. Since then, the China National Silk Museum has become the focal point for cultural exchanges between institutions and organizations along the ancient route.
The "From Hangzhou to Samarkand" exhibition will be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, to promote cultural exchanges with other museums. This exhibition is being created in conjunction with the Samarkand State Museum-Reserve of Uzbekistan and focuses primarily on the distribution of ancient Chinese silk products into the country.
The China National Silk Museum is one of the nation's leading institutions for repairing and preserving China's ancient textiles and has provided these services to more than 50 museums.
It has established sub-organizations in Qinghai Province and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to restore unearthed ancient textiles with professional assistance.
During Silk Week, the museum will release its annual report of archeological discoveries, research, antiquity restoration, and exhibitions along the Silk Road from the previous year.
Tang Dynasty Buddhist scripture from Dunhuang
Exhibition of Esterhazy collection
Date: June 27-August 21
Exhibition of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes
Date: July 12-August 22
Venue: China National Silk Museum
Address: 73 Yuhuangshan Rd
玉皇山路73号
